Swimmer&#39;s safety belt



Dec. '7,11926.,

G. WAIMEL SWIMMER S SAFETY BELT Filed May 25' 1925 INVENTOR. @061e Mme! v?, A .RNEYS infill.

Patented Dec. 7, 11926.

UNITED STATES GEORGIE WAIMEL, 0F KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SWIMMERS SAFETY BELT.

Application led May 25, 1925. Serial No. 32,596.

This invention relatesto improvements in belts, particularly belts worn by bathers and swimmersand it is the principal object of my invention to provide a belt which, in case of emergency, may be used as a life saver.

Another object of the invention' is the provision of a belt adapted to be worn as a sport belt and qu/ickly to be transformed into a life-saving device.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a belt which, in case of emergency, is adapted to be iniated by a gas normally carried in a receptacle in the belt, and adapted to readily be discharged by the simple turn of a screw to release the gas and fill the belt with the same.

It isalso one of the objects of my invention to provide a belt of` comparatively simple and inexpensive construction .yet positively and efficiently operating in case of emergency to act as a life saver, and one which may be worn for instance, by passengers on sea-going vessels and will be normally inconspicuous and comfortable.

These' and further objects and advantages 'of my invention will become more fully known, as the description thereof proceeds, and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanyinv drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a belt constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the belt on a greatly enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The belt 10 of any suitable material and form Ahas the customary locking device 11 and 12 and guide buckle 13 attached thereto, and is made of two-fold material as inldicated at 14 and 15, to form an inner cham- At one of its ends, the belt has attached thereto a. casing 18 in which an inner chamber 19is formed, closed on top-by a lug 20 screwed into the upper o n end of c amber 19 and having a centra threaded opening for the reception-of the threaded shaft 21 of a screw having` an upper operating handle 22 and a lower engaging shoulder or flange' The lower end of chamber 19 is closed by a threaded plug 24 having an upper rubber plug 25 inserted therein and a perforated nipple 26 ending within said rubbei` lug 25. The nipple 26 is seated upon an angu ar conduit 2 leading into the chamber formed between the pieces of material 14 and 15 accomplished y the plug 24 engaging in socket 30, secured between said parts 14 and 15.

A vessel 28 or container is provided in chamber 19 and contains a buoyant gas and has a lower nipple 29 of glass or other fragile material, while its upper endis engaged by the flange 23 of screw 21.

The operation of the device will be entirely clear from the above description, in case of emergency, when the belt is t0 be used as a life-saver, it will simply be necessary to screw the screw 21 down so that the breakable nipple 29 of the container 28 will be broken by its contact with nipple 26 and the gas contained therein will iow into the belt in the space between the material 14 and 15 and make the belt buoyant.

It is to be understood that the form of the belt illustrated and described is only one example of its many ways of construction, and that such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departure from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a swimmers safety belt, having a gas container adapted to be forced against points to break, the 'combination in the means for intlating said belt, of a casing housing said gas container, a plug having a central threadf ed aperture, and engaged in the upper end of said casing, a threaded shaft operable 1n the threaded aperture of said plug, and having at its lower end a shoulder enga ing said gas container, and at its upper en an o Verating handle, whereby upon turnin t e handle the said gas container is forced vownwards relative to the casing.

2. In a swimmers safety belt, having a gas container adapted to be forced against points to break, the combination in the means for inflating said belt, of a casing housing said gas container, a` plug having a central threaded aperture, and engaged in the up r end of said casing, a threaded shaft opera le in the threaded aperture of said plug, and having at its lower end a iange engaging said gas container, and at its upper end an operating handle, whereby upon turning the handle the said gas container is forced downwards relative to the casing.

3. 4A belt comprising a chamber formed therein, a casing formed in said belt, a gas contained in said casing, a nipple having an upper seat, a fragile nipple on the lower end of said container adapted to engage said seat, means for exerting a pressure upon the upper end of said container for breaking said fragile nipple to release the gas, and means to lead the gas into the chamber formed in said belt.

4. A belt comprising a chamber formedl cating with said belt chamber, and means for operating said means, pressing through the upper screw plug to break said fragile nipple to release the gas in said container and filling the belt chamber therewith. y

5. A. belt comprising a two-fold spaced material forming an inner chamber in said belt, a casing formed in said belt, an upper screw plug cloing the top of said casing, and a lower screw plug for closing the bottom of said casing, an angular nipple in said lower screw plug communicating with said chamber, a rubber seat in said lower plug, a metal end on said nipple in said rubber seat, a gas container in said casing, a fragile nipple on the end of the same, engaging said metal end of the nipple, a screw having a shoulder engaging the upper end of said container, and a handle on said screw for allowing an operation of the same to break said fragile nipple on said container to release the gas contained therein, to flow through the lower nipple into the belt chamber, to make the same buoyant, and a means for attaching the belt to a person.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

- GEORGE WAIMEL. 

